With Christmas now behind us, we’re guessing you have built up quite the collection of Chocolates… and maybe the ones you don’t like! Don’t panic, we’re here to help. We thought it’d be a good idea to give you some ideas for what you could bake with all your sweet leftovers.
BOTTOM OF THE CHOCOLATE BOX BROWNIES
Your leftover chocolate is likely to be forgotten, unloved, and left for at least another month, these Brownies are the perfect way to put them to good use.
Ingredients
- 150g good quality dark chocolate – or dark chocolate chips
- 180g unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs
- 265g golden caster sugar
- 60g plain/all purpose flour
- 40g cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 60g ground almonds
- 20 leftover chocolate box sweets – about 180g/6.3oz
Method
Preheat the oven to 180c/350f and line a baking tray that’s approx. 20cmx30cm and 3cm deep with baking parchment. Leave a little of the parchment overhanging the tray to make it easier to get the brownie out later.
Melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (make sure the bowl isn’t touching the water though). Or alternatively melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments, giving it a stir each 30 seconds. Then add the butter for the last 30 seconds to melt. Stir and leave to cool slightly.
Whisk the eggs and sugar on medium until thick and creamy in a large bowl using a mixer or hand whisk.
Slowly whisk again, and pour the melted chocolate butter in. Pour it at the side of the bowl in a thin stream, whisking all the time, so that the eggs don’t scramble with the warm chocolate.
When the chocolate is thoroughly mixed in, sieve the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder over the mixture, and then add the ground almonds. Fold into the mix gently, in a figure of eight. This will help to keep the air in.
Pour the mixture into your baking tray and use a palette knife to ensure it goes all the way to the edges.
Arrange the chocolates on top of the brownie mix evenly, so there is 1 piece per portion of brownie. Push the caramel into the mixture slightly and place the tray in the oven.
Cook for 25 minutes.
Take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tray. Lift the brownie out of the tray using the baking parchment and place on a chopping board. Use a sharp knife to slice the brownie into portions. It will crumble slightly when you cut it, but it crumbles less, the longer you leave it to cool.
ROCKY ROAD
Rocky Road is a sure-fire way to please the kids. These gooey treats are incredibly simple to make, whilst also being extremely tasty. Who doesn’t enjoy a tasty piece of Rocky Road? This cake is a lot of fun to make with the whole family, and the best part is that you can personalise it by mixing and matching the ingredients with any of your leftover chocolates.
Ingredients
- 125g Unsalted butter
- 150g Dark chocolate (broken into pieces)
- 150g Milk chocolate (broken into pieces)
- 3 tbsp Golden syrup
- 100g Digestive biscuits (roughly crushed)
- 100g Brazil nuts (roughly chopped)
- 100g Mini marshmallows
Method
Line a 24 cm/9″ square baking tin with non-stick baking paper.
Heat the butter, chocolate, and golden syrup in a pan over a low heat until melted. Remove from the heat. Stir in the crushed biscuit pieces, nuts, and marshmallows. Tip the mixture into the tin and smooth the top with a wet knife.
Melt the white chocolate and drizzle over the top of the cake to decorate. Chill for about 2 hours until firm enough to cut.
FONDUE
Looking for a fun and easy chocolate dessert to make with the family? Make chocolate fondue! Everyone gets to pick their own “dip-able”, whether it’s strawberries, bananas, or marshmallow and only three ingredients are required: chocolate, cream, and a pinch of salt.
Ingredients
For the dipping fondue chocolate:
- 1 cup (8 ounces) double cream
- Pinch of salt
- 340g milk or dark chocolate (chips or roughly chopped bar)
For dipping:
- Strawberries
- Banana pieces cut into 1-inch chunks
- Marshmallows
- Anything else you want to dip
Method
Heat the cream with a pinch of salt over medium heat in a small saucepan until tiny bubbles show and begins to simmer lightly and slowly.
Remove from heat, add the chocolate, and whisk until smooth and fully incorporated.
Transfer the chocolate mix to a fondue pot heated at low or with a low flame, or serve straight from the pot. Arrange the dip-ables on a platter or plates around the chocolate pot. Use a fondue fork or a bamboo skewer to dip the fruit pieces and other dip-ables into the hot melted chocolate mixture.
